PV under the spotlight at Masdar City

Masdar CEO Dr Sultan Al Jaber and ISFOC director-general Dr Pedro Banda

Masdar and Instituto De Sistemas Fotovoltaicos de Concentracion S.A. (ISFOC) have signed an agreement to test and study concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technologies under Abu Dhabi’s environmental conditions.

The study will be carried out with the support of the government of Spain, which has extended a 2007 memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of Abu Dhabi that calls for technical co-operation between the two parties in the fields of transport, environment, tourism and renewable energies.

The Masdar-ISFOC feasibility study will examine the effects of dust, ambient temperature and haze on the energy output and reliability of CPV technologies from a variety of manufacturers. A key aim will be to determine whether any of the CPV technologies can be a competitive, reliable renewable energy technology for Abu Dhabi and the region. The test site will be at Masdar City, the world’s first carbon-neutral community being built on the outskirts of the UAE capital.

Global leader

“Spain is a global leader in the renewable energy sphere, and we are very excited about strengthening the technical co-operation between our two countries,” said Masdar CEO Dr Sultan Al Jaber. “This feasibility study goes to the heart of Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy vision and of what Masdar is about, namely pushing the boundaries of technology, promoting innovation and, above all, fostering international co-operation to pave the way for the more widespread adoption of renewable energy in the future.”

Together with a similar project currently underway by ISFOC at Puertollano, Spain, the Masdar City study will provide valuable data that will significantly enhance the potential for the adoption and commercialisation of CPV technologies worldwide.

ISFOC aims, through its various projects, at promoting CPV technologies, developing industry standards and serving as a test bed for the latest technology and high-level training.

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